€2m heroin man gets 10 years

A Kildare man who was caught with €2m worth of heroin following a garda surveillance operation after a suspicious pallet was intercepted by customs officers has been jailed for 10 years.

Paul Drew (aged 24) of Ferns Close, Ferns Bridge, Monasterevin, was observed throughout the day driving in the vicinity of the vehicles that had been carrying the drugs and gardaí were satisfied that he was in charge of supervising its transportation.

Drew pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the heroin for sale or supply in Corbally, Saggart on January 25, 2008. He had three previous convictions and his assets are currently frozen pending an investigation into whether they should be confiscated.

Judge Katherine Delahunt said it was down to the vigilance of both gardaí and custom officers that this significant haul of drugs were discovered and she described the case as being at the more serious end of those that come before the court.

"You were very near the top of the ladder in relation to this operation and although you were not the owner of the drugs, you were a willing participant," Judge Delahunt said.